


A River of Doctors

by holyknight3



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Multiple Doctors (Doctor Who), Romantic Comedy, missing moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 05:45:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14182146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holyknight3/pseuds/holyknight3
Summary: A missing moment fic set during "A Good Man Goes to War" that features River Song with several different Doctors on her birthday.





	A River of Doctors

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JaneScarlett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneScarlett/gifts).



It was her birthday. She would never tell him which one; she felt that would be giving too much away. A little mystery (or in her case, a lot of mystery) helped to keep the relationship healthy and interesting. She could never be quite sure who would be showing up, but she knew that he would be there, in some way, shape, or form. It wasn't lights out yet at Stormcage and judging from past experience, he wouldn't show up until then at the earliest. So, she had a little time to pick out her outfit and accessories. “Could I ask your opinion on something?” she asked to the guard making his rounds, “It's my birthday and I'll be leaving with my husband soon. Which dress do you like better, the red or the black?”

“Ms. Song, our records indicate that you are unmarried,” the guard said in a firm voice, “Furthermore, announcing your intent to escape requires us to immediately place you under armed supervision.” With a quick motion, he drew his gun on her. “Since you are being so forthcoming with information, would you mind telling me how you have been in communication with this person from inside solitary confinement?” was the guards reply. He looked nervous, as all of the night shift guards always did when they came by for their evening inspections. 

“I think he would like the black one better. So, what are you going to do with your winnings?” River asked, checking her laser pistol, and her lipstick, both regular and hallucinogenic.

“What winnings are you talking about?” a look of confusion spreading across his face.

“From the lottery?”

“They haven't had the drawing yet.”

“Check again.”

“Oh my.., wait, how did you know?”

“It was your lucky night. By prison policy, you can no longer work in the prison due to the high risk of law suit to yourself. So, which dress?”

“Um, black, wait, wait, how did you know that the lottery ticket that was slipped through my door this morning was going to be a winner?”

“Because my husband always likes to pick me up on my birthday,” she said, turning around and sliding into the black dress. A familiar 'VORP-VORP' was heard just down the hallway as the force field on her cell fell. River put her implements into invisible pockets in the dress and stepped out to the hallway. The guard swiftly raised his weapon and attempted to fire at her, but the weapon wouldn't respond.

From around the corner she heard, “Eh, you don't work here anymore. They can't let just anyone go around shooting at the inmates, they might get sued.”

A smile crossed River's lips, “Hello, Sweetie.” She locked arms with the tall man as she walked into the big blue box that had suddenly appeared there. The guard looked on with a stunned look as they both disappeared with a 'VORP-VORP'.

“I have to say, the black really does suit you. Where did you get it?” the Doctor asked as he worked the controls of the TARDIS at a seemingly frantic pace. 

“Spoiler's.” Telling him probably wouldn't have destroyed all of time and space, but sometimes a woman likes to preserve an air of mystery. That and she wasn't exactly sure which of him had taken her to New New York to buy it. “So where are we headed?” she asked, quickly changing the subject. 

“1814, The Last London Frost Fair, I don't believe that I've taken you there before,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “There were a few others before then, but the last one is by far the best.”

“So, have you taken other girls to this Frost Fair then?” River asked, trying, and failing to sound non-accusatory. 

If the Doctor noticed, he paid it no mind, “I think the last time I was here was with Jack, and he generally doesn't count as a girl, does he? Rose was probably there too. My memory is a little fuzzy on that one, must have been one of Jack’s bachelor parties. Time before that, well, that must have been before the war, and to be honest, I don't remember much about that entire regeneration. I think the first time I came here, it was with a girl, Vicki was her name. We met Jane Austen, rescued her from a dragon, you know, that sort of thing. That was just after my granddaughter left,” he breathlessly exclaimed. 

“You never took Susan to one of the fairs?” River questioned. 

“Nah, she was always more into the Earth 1960's. The Beatles, the moon landing, touch tone telephones, she loved all of that stuff,” the Doctor said with a bit of a wistful glance at River, “And here we are. The Last Great Frost Fair. I think we might have gotten here in time for the opening ceremony.” 

The Frost Fair was just beginning, with an elephant being led across the Thames in full view of the gathered crowds to prove that it was in fact frozen solid. Just in front of the elephant, a familiar blue police box appeared on the ice with a “VORP-VORP”. The elephant was startled by the sudden appearance of the box, and moved forward to give the box a piece of its mind.

The Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS to see a startled elephant trumpeting at him, “I think we got here in time to be in the opening ceremony. Timothy is not happy that we are stealing his spotlight. Prima Donna.” 

“Timothy?” River said, shooting him a look, “Oh, the elephant!”

By that point, River was already at the controls. “I knew you couldn't fly, I should have expected you not to be able to park.” A flick of her wrist and a pull of a lever, and they were on the bank, overlooking the entirety of the festivities. 

“You're no fun.” he pouted as they exited the TARDIS. 

“So, what is so great about the 1814 Frost Fair that you feel the need to visit it multiple times?” River asked exiting the TARDIS behind him.

“Ah, yes. While it is no fish fingers and custard, the eel pie is quite tasty. It's the intangibles, really, that feeling of the whole town of jolly old London, coming together in the middle of the winter, and just celebrating being alive. The putting aside your complaints and your cares to join side by side with your fellow man in...” SPLASH! A chamber pot being emptied almost on top of him stopped him in mid speech. 

“I've known entire empires that would have destroyed one another, just to stop you in mid sentence once,” River quipped. 

“Most of those empires did end up destroying each other,” he replied, a slight hint of remorse to his voice.

“It is beautiful. The Fair, it has a kind of magic feel to the air, like your first snow day as a kid.”

“One of the remarkable wonders of the universe is how, with all of its varied majesty and power, you still find yourself drawn to the same place over and over again.” 

River barely heard him, she had spotted the familiar blue police box, and it wasn't the one they had just left. 

All across the Thames, various tents had been hastily erected, and everyone seemed to be eager to be the first out on to the ice. Various performers tumbled about in teams, some walked on stilts, a difficult task on ice to be sure. There were packs of children wandering around selling various things to anyone who would give them a moment’s attention. Everyone seemed to be drinking or eating something or another, and the whole atmosphere was one of a giant party.

When she looked back at where the Doctor was just a moment before, she found the spot empty. Had he gone on without her? Did he go back to the TARDIS for something? Had something happened to him? Had he just up and left her? The best course of action for her at this point was to go back to the TARDIS and run a trace for Time Lord DNA, which should locate him, all of him here. She easily found the place where she had parked the TARDIS, and opened the door into a well appointed library.

This version of the Doctor liked to keep his console room more like a study, than anything else. Wood railing, books lining the walls, comfortable chairs for sitting and reading and most importantly, there seemed to always be something to see or do here. A few of the desktop patterns were downright utilitarian, but this one gave a sense of safety and ease. Considering the curves the universe threw at him, it came as no surprise to River that he would want a place to relax and feel safe. This one saw the beginning of the War, and did all he could to stop it from happening, but it wasn’t enough. 

Of course he was here. It seemed like she could hardly go anywhere without running into this version of him. With any luck, she could just borrow the scanner and be on her way. From the depths of the library, she heard a familiar voice. “Lucie, is that you? I thought I heard the door,” a male voice said from deeper in the TARDIS. River took her lipstick out and reapplied it. A handsome young man came out, and spotted River. “How did you get in here? You aren't Lucie.”

“I know you wouldn't believe me if I told you I thought it was an ordinary police box,” River said with a slight grimace.

“There won't be a police box for another 60 years. And how exactly do you know about police boxes?” the handsome man asked, stepping a few feet closer, “You look familiar, have I seen you around before?” 

River slowly closed the distance, “You don't remember me do you? After all this time?”

“Should I?” the younger Doctor asked.

River put her arms around his neck, “Let me give you a reminder,” she said, kissing him gently on the lips.

A moment of recognition goes over his face, and then embarrassment, as Lucie steps in to find him standing there in a daze with a happy look on his face.

“Are you alright?” Lucie asks.

“Oh, what, yes. I just thought I bumped into someone I knew, and was gathering my thoughts. Did you find what you were looking for?”

 

That was all River heard before the door closed, and she was already well on her way before they might have had a chance to question the illusion further. The Doctor was not a man who was ever truly deceived easily, but she had ran into him in that part of his time line a time or two before. While she could have convinced him to help her, and he would have probably jumped at the chance, she couldn't risk the damage it could do to their timelines. 

River couldn’t chance the Doctor or one of his companions finding her, so that meant blending into the crowd. There would be too many questions, and she only brought her hypnotic lipstick with her for emergencies. She would have a difficult time getting close to more than one person to use it, unless she was very clever, and if she remembered the Doctor’s history right, there is no way that Lucie would of ever allowed her to get close enough to use it on her. There were plenty of tents set up on the banks of the river, and she soon slipped into the crowds moving between the stalls.

She found herself wandering amongst the stalls they had set up on the river banks. An older gentleman asked her, “Excuse me, but isn't it a bit cold to be dressed like that?” Her black party dress was engineered for any weather or environment, could function as a space suit for up to twelve hours if need be, and still be considered differing degrees of fashionable any time after 1950, but in 1814, well she was dressed in bed clothes at best. 

“Yes, it is a long story. I'm afraid I got locked out and now can't find my husband who has the keys,” the best lies built on truths, River thought to herself. 

“Well, my abode is nearby. You look to be about the same size as my wife, one of her old dresses might fit you. Who is your husband?” the man asked her.

She wasn't entirely certain who she was dealing with, this person could be one of the Doctor's enemies, or one of hers, better to be safe than sorry, “He’s a doctor. We came into town for the Fair.” 

“Ah, I'm a traveler myself; I like to do a bit of site seeing here and there.” They walked a few blocks up the street to a well maintained house. “Here we are. I'm renting the place for the time being. I despise hotels. People scurrying about, wondering what your business is, why you are coming and going at odd hours, who those people with you are. I'm sure you and your husband know just how it is.” River wasn't entirely sure that she did, but whenever she traveled with the Doctor, they hadn't stayed in a lot of hotel rooms, and when she had been on a dig in college, they usually camped at the site. “Excuse me madam, for just a moment,” the man said, stepping from the room. 

River took this moment to check the safety on her laser pistol, just in case this gentleman bore her ill will. She looked into one of the long standing mirrors that they had in the hallway to reapply her lipstick, just in case. All throughout the halls there were steamer trunks. She opened one up, and found it to be full of clothes for children of various ages, all well made. Another trunk was full of various toys, and a third was full of different sizes of shoes. In one of the other rooms, there was beds waiting to be assembled, and furniture gathered, enough for six or seven people at least. All of the furniture was empty, as if they had just been moved in. What was the man planning to do with all of these things? If he was kidnapping children, then it wouldn’t be likely that he would keep them in such comfort, and the workhouses of this era were probably full of unwanted children. There was a plan here, a reason for all of these things, but she couldn’t see how the man could get any advantage from taking in a herd of children, at least not from a 19th century viewpoint. She made sure that her laser pistol was at the top of her pocket, in case she needed to use it quickly, and returned to the previous room. 

Her preparations were for naught when he returned to the entryway. “My apologies for leaving so suddenly, there was a matter that required my immediate attention. If you will follow me this way, I've had her wardrobe unpacked into this bedroom. I'm told that they were in the height of fashion, but I honestly haven't a clue. They belonged to my wife,” the man paused, “some time ago. It would be better if you get some use out of them. An honest woman like you is likely to get some stares in your current state of distress.” River guessed that the man had recently lost his wife, and something about that struck a chord. Men were always so tight with their emotions, it was a wonder they didn't explode. 

She felt like she should say something to ease the tension, “Your wife has wonderful taste. I will think of her when I wear it.”

A small smile came to the man's face, “I think she would like that,” holding the door open to a dressing area. She was afraid that they were all going to be those terrible dresses that took three people to put you in, full of corsets that you could barely breathe in. She was in amazing shape, but would never in this regeneration have a fourteen inch waist. What she found surprised her; several of them were well designed, and easy enough to manage on her own. That struck River as a bit strange. Dresses for a woman of rank were usually designed to take a team of servants to squeeze a woman into them and then hide every curve they worked hard to accentuate. She barely recognized the corset for what it was until she put it on. It seemed more like anachronistic bra, but the materials were right, causing her to wonder if she had her eras confused. 1814? Much too early for Edwardian, Victorian right? She was around for half the century, wasn't she? The later half, she died in 1901. River remembered going with the Doctor to her funeral, saying he made her a promise to stay away from England while she was still queen. Or was he banished? If she had known when they were going ahead of time, she could have done a bit of research on the period and not have to do so much guessing, and she didn't have her digital assistant, that was confiscated when she went to Stormcage.

When she was finally dressed, she noted how well it accentuated her waist and had a much lower neckline than she was expecting. There was no way this was a Victorian dress. It was also very sheer, and would provide no protection from the cold. She wore her black dress underneath, and it was mostly hidden by the dress, but its neckline was surprisingly more conservative. She looked for a coat or a cloak or something to wrap up in. That was when she spotted the gray outer dress. Ah, that made a lot more sense. It laced up, and generally was a great deal more conservative like she was expecting. While she looked good in the inner dress, she would probably still get a few odd looks if people saw her running around in one of London's coldest winters without any protection. The outer dress was nice, with decent amount of embellishments without appearing too busy. It had a covering for her throat, so she was going on a guess that was the reason there were no scarves. Only a simple lace hat, though she didn't know if that was a fashion choice or oversight. She admired herself in the mirror for half a second, and decided that she looked good, and it was close enough for quick work in any case.

“You are a vision of beauty, if you don't mind me saying. You do my wife proud,” the gentleman said. “I hope you found everything to your liking. I have to admit I am not acquainted with the finer points of fashion, but I try and make do. No one points and laughs, so I'll take that for what it is worth.” River couldn't help but smile at the man. He was handsome in his own way, that only a few older men can truly pull off well.

“Your wife clearly had good taste, she married you,” a flirtatious smile crossed River's lips. Then she remembered where she was, or at least thought she was, and the 51st century it was not. “Thank you for your aid in this time of need, but I really do need to be getting back to my husband.” 

“It was no trouble at all. There are things that I need to be looking into as well. Your husband is luckier than he will ever know,” he said with a slight bow of his head. “If you find yourself lost, or just need some place to recuperate, then my home is open to you, for however long it is mine. I'm afraid I've taken too much of your time as it is. Good day, madam,” he said with a tip of his hat.

River left shortly after, and was surprised she didn't see the man anywhere in sight. He was staying around here; he most certainly knew the area better than she did. If she was going to find her Doctor, she was going to need to either put together a scanner of some sort, or sneak aboard one of the TARDIS' that was here in London. Best place to park in an area like this would be a back alley, where people wouldn't blink twice at squatters, and possibly strange dressed people would be a somewhat regular occurrence. That usually meant around the taverns in the dock area, which wasn't that far away. 

Larger cites around this time period seemed to have an entire street dedicated to taverns, pubs, inns, and brothels. They tended to be located near the docks, for easier access to their clientele; sailors and travelers. There were some nicer upscale establishments, those were farther away from the actual docks and would be visited by those willing to foot the bill for a carriage ride. The closer you got to the water, the seedier the establishments became. This district made it fairly easy to slip in and out of unnoticed, and if you were noticed, no one would believe whatever story you decided to tell. This made it a haven for time travelers, and also those who would exploit the disadvantaged across time. If the TARDIS rematerialized anywhere, it would probably be here.

Luck seemed to be on her side, as she came across the familiar blue police box which was completely out of place in 1814 London. Hoping that her luck would hold, she approached the TARDIS. At that exact moment, the door opened, and a young, blonde woman in a blue 21st century winter coat and blue jeans walked out in mid conversation with a handsome man in immaculate period dress. “No, I'm not going to wear all those bodices and petticoats. You just want to help me try and put on a corset,” the young girl, who would have to be Rose Tyler, said to the man, who of course was Captain Jack Harkness. 

“There is no point in going somewhere if you aren't going to be part of the culture, a huge part of which is the clothes. An excellent example of which we have here,” Jack said with an easy smile that had undoubtedly melted countless hearts. “Hello, my name is Jack. Captain Jack Harkness. I don't believe we have had the pleasure.” 

Rose gave Jack a look that would of soured milk. 

“Hello, Jack. My name is Dr. Song. I'm looking for my husband,” River answered amusedly.

“If he lost you, then I don't think he deserves you. A forward thinking woman like yourself, and a doctor, in 1814? I think it's your lucky day that you lost him and found us. What do you think Rose?” 

“I think we should help her find her husband, and the sooner the better for all,” the girl sounding a little angrier than she probably intended. Jack still had his vortex manipulator, which she gave a moment's thought about trying to pick pocket off of him, and decided against it. The largest factor in that decision was the tall man in a U-Boat captain's coat and what might pass as a period shirt if you squinted at it sideways who just stepped out of the TARDIS.

“And who might you be? I don't believe we have been acquainted. Friend of Jack's?”

That was a trap, and River knew it.

“I would definitely have remembered a friend like her,” he said, with his wide, easy grin.

“She's looking for her husband,” Rose told her Doctor.

“Your husband lost in the time stream is he?” the Doctor asked, a smile on his face, but calculating eyes watching her. 

Her worst fear was that he was right, and that it might have been her fault somehow, but that was not something she wanted him to be looking into unless there was absolutely no recourse, “Not that I am aware.”

“Why would you ask if her husband got lost in time?” Rose asked, backing away from her slowly. 

“Low level, high grade perception filter on her clothes, and going to the effort for period dress. No, you are a woman of at least the 52nd century, aren't you? Are you here for Jack?” the Doctor said, that familiar force in his voice, and a plan was forming in his mind, and River wasn't sure she did well in it.

“Wait, I think I do remember you,” Jack said, pulling his sonic pistol and pointing it at River in one smooth motion. “You are the infamous Dr. River Song.” 

River put her hands in the air. “Guilty as charged,” she said. Telling the truth might give her a bit of room to maneuver, as the Doctor had her completely over a barrel, though River was fairly sure only the two of them knew it.

“What is she infamous for?” Rose asked, glaring at Jack while moving out of potential lines of fire.

“Oh, she was big time. Archaeologist, Mercenary, Assassin. Got sent to one of the most secure prisons in the universe, Stormcage.”

River was certain at that moment that her luck had completely ran out. 

“So, if she was an assassin, then who did she kill,” the Doctor asked Jack, stepping to the front, and putting himself between River and Rose. 

“That part is fuzzy. It might be part of those missing two years.” Jack said, a fury building in his voice where there was only smiles and seduction before. “Did I help you in some way, and you came to eliminate a loose end?”

As a time traveler, River had a bit of a problem. She liked to peek. First rule of time travel was that you don't look too closely at your own future. And she hadn't looked. At all of it. At least not very closely, just the bullet points really. Knowing your own future has a tendency to lock you into that potential future to the exclusion of all others. So she just looked at where the big things happened, but not how they were resolved. Viewed that way, they didn't make perfect sense, until after the fact, but it gave her enough insight into her future to have an idea what to plan for. 

Jack Harkness was a different sort, and from what she had managed to dig up (sometimes literally) he was nearly immortal. Or he just had died a lot. The reports were sketchy, but she was guessing that hadn't happened yet. She wasn't even sure which incarnation of the Doctor it had happened with, but she knew it happened to him at some point before he became leader of Torchwood. There was some adventure in her future with her, Future Jack, and Time Agent Jack, but that whole thing screamed big things happening, and that was the sort of thing you didn't want spoilers for. Jack knew none of this. “Spoilers. You don't want to know too much about your own future.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack exclaimed. The Doctor pursed his lips and kept his eyes on River, but the way he lowered his shoulders meant he was going to be listening carefully to what she had to say. 

“Not to reveal too much, but there are a few ways to knock out memories. The bite of a memory worm might do it, but that is usually for a decade or so. It can be done with a hypnotic poison, but only for short term encounters. The other is crossing into your own time stream,” River told Jack, slowly, while keeping her eyes focused on the Doctor.  
“Nobody would be stupid enough to do that. It's way too risky!” Jack yelled at River, while Rose looked at the ground sheepishly, and the Doctor coughed. 

“There are some things that are worth the risk Jack. People who matter to you. An experienced time traveler could pull it off,” the Doctor told Jack, now crossing his arms in front of him. 

“Yeah, but I would have had to been with my ‘time clone’ for two years for all that time to go missing.”

The Doctor replied, “It all depends on if you coordinated with yourself before hand or not. You would have had to been working under the time agencies nose, and even minor correspondence from your future self could put small holes in your time line, and as more help was needed, about an incident that would have been happening concurrently in your time, then that could cause your whole mind to forget as a sort of paradox shielding.” 

“But isn't that a Time Lord thing?” Jack asked, “Humans don't have those mental defenses, they go crazy instead.” 

This time River spoke up, “Some humans, by virtue of luck or breeding have the physiology that produce the same effects.” The Doctor looked like he was about to rebut her statement, so she plowed ahead before he could, “The Time Lords were of course more advanced, but as you have seen on countless occasions, less advanced doesn't always mean less effective. It is possible your brain blocked out the time to preserve your ability to choose in the future.” Or he mind-wiped himself. It wouldn't be the first time it was done to preserve a great secret, and if she was involved, there was only one person that great secret could revolve around. “I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you were a good man then, you are a good man now, and you will be a good man in the future. If you can't trust yourself, trust him,” River said, nodding towards the Doctor, “He has an eye for talent.”

Rose was the one to change the subject, “So, who is this husband of yours? And why were you trying to get into the TARDIS?”  
River could see why the Doctor liked her, but her question posed too many problems. “I'm sorry to bother you, and I’m afraid I can’t tell you anymore. Maybe if we meet again. I'm sure you have a great deal to accomplish, and you won't do any of that if you stand around talking to me all day,” she said as she gave Jack a kiss on the cheek. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor,” she said, giving the Doctor a kiss on his other cheek, “but I think there is a bit of a risk of more potential time stream crossing if you stay here.” Both of the men walked back into the TARDIS, leaving Rose dumbfounded. 

“What did you do to them!?” she cried. 

“Too much information about your future can be a dangerous thing. I think you of all people would recognize that, Bad Wolf,” she said to Rose as she walked away. 

Rose yelled behind her, “What is Bad Wolf?” 

River hadn't realized it was that early in their timelines, “Spoilers, Sweetheart,” she said as she rounded the corner.

River was glad that her lipstick had had enough hypnotic compound on her lips for both the Doctor and Jack. Ideal usage was reapply every time, but it had worked in a pinch. She was now getting worried. She had visited two different TARDISs, and each had been a different Doctor, neither of which recognized her. If it had been late enough for the pretty boy, then she could have just directly asked for help, but she was pretty sure he wasn't here. She recognized the TARDIS in the distance though, and decided to play this one safer, and watch for the Doctor to actually leave his TARDIS this time. She was pretty sure that the TARDIS would know her anywhere in time or space, but that was the Doctor's original incarnation, and he didn't suffer fools lightly. She had only really watched him from a distance, but she could see some of the hallmarks of the man he would become, but she also saw traces of the man he was. It wasn't a huge shift, but more a change of his perceptions. He didn't see himself as the protector of the human race yet, he was just another traveler on this road. He still tried to maintain an intellectual detachment from those that he was observing, not wanting to get involved. He still did of course, he couldn't help himself, but he tried, more for his own sake than anyone else's. River looked, and there, almost on cue, came the Doctor, a young man and two young women running from, well, something, heading for the TARDIS. Some things never seemed to change after all. They all disappeared, and her hope of finding her Doctor disappeared with them, with a 'VORP-VORP'.

River had been alone before, and cold, and they were the worst memories of her childhood. She still recalls dying in the streets of New York, the original, from exposure, and regenerating and feeling warm and full all over again. She felt that alone now, with the Doctor abandoning her in the middle of this cold, heartless place. Everyone around her was moving about, having a good time with their friends and family, and silently ignoring the children slowly dying of exposure around them, as they tried fruitlessly to hawk wares to them in hopes of affording their next meal. Why would the Doctor abandon her in such a cruel time? She wasn’t as bad off as she had been in New York, but being stuck here with no one, that was the worst.

River didn't notice, but tears were welling up in her eyes. She had lost him. Or he left her. He had finally gotten tired of her. She always knew it was a stupid lark, a trick he had played on her to save the universe. The only two people who would even remember it were the two of them anyways. How could that ever be real? She had been deluding herself the whole time. She found herself in front of the house of the man who had lent her the clothes. She knew she would never be as lucky as his wife.

The kind old man came down the street, looking slightly worse for wear than he had when she saw him this morning. “You must be freezing to the bone. Come in, at least let me get you warmed up.” 

River had barely even notice the cold. The dress she had started in had a life support system in it that regulated the air temperature in a small pocket around her, because the weather shouldn't get to dictate how you dress. She had been truly cold before, and she did not care to repeat the experience ever again. She saw no reason to rebuff the man's kindness though, “I think I’d like that.” 

He took her arm in his and escorted her into the house. The simple gesture and touch made her feel a bit better; the crushing despair still lingered in her heart. 

The man seemed to know, “You look distraught, Mrs.?” 

River heard the question in his voice. He wanted to know her name. “Song. River Song.” 

“Are you from Scotland, my dear?” he said casually.

That was a bizarre question to ask, “My mother was Scottish, yes.”

“Ah, that explains it. I've spent a fair amount of time in Scotland myself. Did you ever find your husband?”

She almost started crying in front of this complete stranger, “No... No I haven't. Not yet.” 

“Well, don't give up on him yet. Any man who could woo a woman like you can't be a complete fool,” he said with a sad smile in his eyes.

She was the one who felt like a complete fool. What did this man know? He didn't know her and he didn't know her husband. 

“He is probably the sort who goes in for grand gestures,” the man said with a sweep of his arms, “Hoping to make up for the fact that he isn't there when you really need him to be, am I right?” 

River looked at the man again. Something about those blue eyes, and the sharp intelligence shinning through them, with kindness at the corners. Did she know him? Why was he the only one to see through the perception filter earlier? No one else had commented on her outfit or looked at her like she was out of place. Only him. 

“You'll have to forgive him, he is still young, and has been out of practice for nearly a thousand years. He’ll get the hang of it. Eventually. Just give him some time. And when he does, he will come to realize that all the grand gestures in the universe aren't worth being there when the person you love needs you,” he said with a small smile.

No. It can't be. She knew all of his faces, had seen them all before. This one was new. What did that mean? 

“I was in the neighborhood on unrelated business, and saw that I should have been here. I usually don't do me any favors, but it never hurts to be kind.” 

The eyes, the words, that feeling, this was him, one she had never seen before. Despite all her research, it had never turned up this regeneration; he was supposed to be out of regenerations after his current one. 

“Hello, Sweetie,” the older Doctor said. 

River started crying for real this time, “But why? Why risk everything?” 

The older Doctor smiled, “If you aren't willing to risk everything for someone you love, then what is the point of ever risking anything at all? And in my defense, I have done a lot worse to the space time continuum for a lot less. As long as I don't cross over into any of my other time streams, it should be fine. And it was worth it to be here.” 

River finally found words in her throat, “I see you still go in for grand gestures.” 

“Touché,” the Doctor responded, “but my point still stands. If I might offer a bit of advice, from one traveler to the next, if you are looking for a missing party, start at the most famous landmark.” 

River eyed him slyly, “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Just a bit of advice, for your travels,” the man said, as he kissed her on the cheek.

She vaguely remembered a kiss, and a kind man, and wondering along the streets that ran next to the river, weaving through the crowd. The world passed by in a blur of color and shape, and when the cobwebs had finally cleared her brain, she looked around to regain her bearings.

River found herself wandering towards the Old London Bridge. There on top of it was the familiar blue police box she knew. She had a vague impression of the traveler who had guided her here, and the warm emotions washing over the bad, but no details emerged. She saw the Doctor, tall and handsome, complete with his bow-tie. Thank god there wasn't anything ridiculous on his head this time. “Been enjoying the Frost Fair I hope,” he asked, looking more at his feet then at her. 

“There has been some ups and downs. It would have been better if you were here. Where did you scamper off to?” She said, still feeling a little hurt, but trying not to show it. 

“Oh, well, there were a few things I had to take care of for the festivities.” He pulled a balloon dog out of his pocket. “Wait, that isn’t right. Hold on.” He fished into his pocket a second time, pulling out a fez. 

“No,” River tells him, throwing the fez into the air and shooting it with her laser pistol. The sound the laser pistol made as it penetrated the fez, someone under the bridge mistook for a cue of some sort, and electronic instruments circa the 1980s started playing an upbeat tune. ‘You know it doesn't make much sense’, the sound of Stevie Wonder singing came from under the bridge. River looked at the Doctor quizzically. “What song is this?” River asked him. 

“It’s supposed to be Happy Birthday. He was listed in the database as the one who made the song famous,” he explained, while he adjusted his jacket. 

“What database did you use, perchance?” River asked, trying to hide her amusement.

“I’m not sure how that is really relevant.” The chorus starts to play, ‘Happy birthday… to you;… Happy birthday… to you; Happy birthdaaaaay’, “See, there it is, Happy Birthday. It’s the right song,” the Doctor says, a hint of pride returning to his voice. 

“Yes, but this song is about the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., not a general song about birthdays.” 

“Well, how were the Cybermen supposed to know that?”

“Did you go break into a Cyberman data center to see what song is traditional to be played at birthdays?”

“No. Well, not specifically. I was there anyway, I figured while I had the database open, I might as well take a peek, do a little research for a change. Maybe.”

Now River laughed. The Doctor continued, trying to recover some of his wounded pride, “Well, they were trying to invade the moon of…” 

River cut him off with a kiss. “You are by far the smartest man I know. I’m surprised that you knew who Stevie Wonder is. Did you tell him where and when this is?”

“Course not; he thinks he is in the 1984 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” He finished his last song, and then the tune changed. ‘No new year’s day… to celebrate…’ Stevie started to sing. 

“Is this the song I think it is?” She asked. 

“I don’t know, what song do you think it is?” the Doctor said, looking somewhat nervous. 

“I think it is. How could you know he sang a song called Happy Birthday, and not know about what is probably his most famous song?”

“Well, for future reference, I will hijack a human database, when doing research on human customs. What song is it?” He asked, truly looking at her for the first time this whole conversation. A puzzled look came across his face, but there was a smile in his eyes. 

“You really don’t know?” River asked, unsure.

“Was it in a Disney movie?”

“I don’t think so. It was in a movie, but I couldn’t tell you what one off the top of my head.”

‘I just called… to say… I love youuuuu…;  
I just called to say how much I caaarreee…’

The Doctor’s smile grew to encompass his whole face. River gave him a smile and said, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” was his much less articulate reply, but the goofy smile on his face was genuine enough. He and River came together for a kiss as the song played in the background.

…

**Author's Note:**

> Created for River Song Secret Santa exchange. Sorry it was so late. Edited by my wife.


End file.
